Lease Questions - Ask Here

CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

Good morning, keljones. Putting multiple security deposits down on a leased vehicle can indeed be an excellent idea if you have the money to do so. It certainly is much better than making a huge down payment on a leased vehicle, because you actually get your money back at the end of your term. Different banks have different rules for their multiple security deposit programs. However, in general each additional security deposit that a lessee makes will reduce the lease money factor that they are charged to lease their vehicle by a certain amount. These additional security deposits do not alter your vehicle's capitalized cost though. So in answer to your specific questions, no MSDs will not lower the total amount of money that you are borrowing, but they usually are a good idea if you have the money to make them and do not expect to be able to get a return on investing that money which beats the savings that it will provide on your lease.

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CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

Hi michaell. Volkswagen does indeed have an owner loyalty program running at this time. Actually they have two programs that sort of fit this description going on this month. The first is a program where current Volkswagen owners and lessees will be mailed a coupon for $500 that is good towards their first lease or finance payment on a new vehicle if their new contract is through Volkswagen Credit. The other program, which is the one that I believe you were talking about, is an early lease termination program. Through this particular program, Volkswagen Credit will waive up to the last three remaining monthly lease payments for its lessees whose contracts are scheduled to end between from 4/2/02 and 10/31/02. The only catch to this program is that the dealership that you get your new vehicle from must purchase your off-lease car from VW Credit in order for you to get your remaining payments waived. This definitely will not always happen. Either way, since your current lease is not scheduled to end until December I am sorry to say that you do not qualify for the program.

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remy725 · April 2002

Hi carman
Can you please furnish me with the M/F & Resid. for a 2002 RangeRover
36 $ 39 M
12k P/Y
I'm in NY

Thanks
Remy

michaellno · April 2002

Well, darn.

I talked to a salesman at my local VW dealer yesterday, and he told me about the $500 coupon program, but didn't know about the early termination program. I'm sure I'll hear from him soon -- he said he would check into it and get back to me.

Either way, it doesn't seem as if I qualify for either program, as I make my last payment in November and I think the lease is up around 12/5/02 (4 years after we acquired the car).

Another question: when I make the last payment (around the 15th of November), can I turn the car back in any time after that payment has been made?

sacco1 · April 2002

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to get some advice...I have a lease that will be up in the next few months. The car is in great condition and under the mileage allowance (by 6,000 miles!). Given these factors, I think I should not have too much of a problem with the dealership returning the vehicle? I have also considered purchasing the vehicle to sell at a later date, but my cash out price and TMV are about the same so it is not too great of a deal. Any thoughts? thanks!

tgif888 · April 2002

When you return your lease car, it really depends on when your bank will come out to the dealer lot and do an appraisal on the car. It is better for you to take pictures on your car inside and out. So that you can have proof if any dispute comes out between you and your bank.

The best bank on during the returned lease vehicle from my experience is BMW Financial Services. As long as the dealer sign off the car. You are not reliable anymore.

shaker58 · April 2002

Hi carman,

we decided to get the sienna they gave me a great trade in on my old sienna 3000 more then anyone else. now the new lease deal 3 yrs 36000 miles
this were it gets tricky
2572.85 due at signing 487.15 ist month 1490.69 taxes and 595.00 bank fee
2572.85 -1000 rebate -1000 due by me and 572.85 rolled in payment
msrp 33974 selling 30619 + 572.85 =31191.85
31191.85 plus assignment fee 895.00 ???
for a total of 32086.85
36 @ 487.15
res 54% excess miles 3% mf 0.002600
using Hann Financial Service Corp are they ok

thanks for all your help

CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

Hi Remy. I do not believe that Land Rover is providing lease support on the 2002 Range Rover any more. There really aren't that many of them left in dealer inventory because the redesigned 2003 version of this truck is due out soon. So if you were to lease a 2002 Land Rover Range Rover through their captive finance company for 39 months with 12,000 miles per year, I believe that you would have to use a relatively high lease money factor of .00300 and a residual value of 40%. Even though there isn't any sort of lease support available on this truck, they do have special financing rates and a ton of dealer cash on it. I believe that Land Rover is providing its dealerships with something like $12,000 dealer cash to help them unload leftover Range Rovers.

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CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

Yeah, sorry that you don't qualify for the program, michaell. The exact timing of when you can turn in your leased vehicle may vary somewhat from bank to bank. However, in general you should be able to return it any time after you have made your final lease payment. In fact, as long as you continue to make your payments or pay them all at one time, most banks probably would not care if you turned your vehicle in prior to its scheduled termination date.

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CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

Hey shaker58. It's hard for me to say if the dealership that you are working with is marking up this van's lease money factor because you are leasing it through an outside lending institution and not Toyota Financial Services. I can however, take a look at the TFS program and see if I think that you are getting a decent deal compared to what it would cost to lease through them. By not leasing through TFS, you do benefit by being able to use the consumer cash that Toyota has available on this van right now which certainly is a plus. Overall, your deal looks fine to me. However, Toyota is providing supported lease money factors on the Sienna in many regions at this time. I have seen supported factors from them that are as low as .00090, or around 2.16%. I personally believe that you would be able to arrive at a lower lease payment by using a supported rate which is this low and leasing through TFS rather than by using the $1,000 and leasing through a different bank. Whether or not this is the case will vary depending upon what sort of supported lease money factors Toyota is providing on this minivan in your area, if any.

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shaker58 · April 2002

I live in long island ny can you give and estimated payment using TFS. Would like to see that price before I sign. Also using other bank I'm getting charged two fee's 898 and 595 is that normal

thanks for all your help

wexclr8 · April 2002

Car_Man: What are the current rates on a 36 or 39 month lease on a Lexus GS 300? Is this week still considered April's numbers or May's? Do you think it is wise to sign the deal with April's numbers?

Thanks!

footie · April 2002

Shaker98 -
I am not the expert that Car_Man is when it comes to leasing, but I have developed a real appreciation for the pricing info that Edmunds provides.
In terms of getting a good deal in leasing a new XLE it helps to check Edmund's New Car TMV pages for the Sienna.
It seems to me that Toyota is having to work hard to compete with the Honda Odyssey's strong position in the market and other minivans and SUVs.
Apparently, the Toyota dealers are sometimes having to sell for a few hundred $ over dealer invoice in order to move inventory.
Edmund's also indicates that there's 2% holdback for the Toyota dealers, so they start with $560 in profit in their pockets, plus get whatever above invoice they can.
It appears that you've located an almost 'maxed out' Siena. The $32K final deal price for the XLE you've chosen is providing the dealership with $3,000 additional profit per the Edmund's calculator.
Perhaps in addition to Car_man's advice, driving a better deal with another deal would be a route to lower payments.
For example, there's a dealership in Southern NJ (about 120 miles away from you) that is advertising that they are offering Siena LE's and CE's for $500 under invoice. Maybe they are more aggressive pricewise on an XLE than your dealership.
Good luck!

jgwoods · April 2002

Car_Man: What are the current residuals and money factors for both the Jetta 1.8t and GLS 2.0 for May if possible (being the end of the month and all)? Also, is VW offering any incentives, rebates, etc for their Jettas? I want to lease for 12000/36months in Illinois.

BTW: (Newbie leasing question) I noticed that you always say something like "based on VW Credit" or some auto manufacturer's credit. Are most leases not done through the manufacturer's credit?

Thanks for your help, JGW

shaker58 · April 2002

dealer cost is 30119.00 and my cost is 30619.00 so theyre making 500 over invoice plus holdback .I never seen two bank fee's 895.00 and 595.00 that there charging but Im getting 18000 on my trade in when other dealer are giving 15000

CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

I would be happy to calculate a sample lease payment for this van if you were to lease it through Toyota Financial Services this month in your part of the country. A 3 year, 12,000 miles per lease of this 2002 Toyota Sienna XLE (MSRP: $33,974 and Capitalized Cost: $31,191.85) through TFS this month should have a pre-tax, zero down monthly payment of right around $383 or so. Furthermore, TFS only charges a lease acquisition fee of $250, which is much less than the high (and probably marked up) fees that you are being quoted for the other bank.

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CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

Hello wexclr8. The Lexus lease program for the month of April is scheduled to run through the 30th of the month. I expect that their May program will be released on around Wednesday. If you were to lease a 2002 Lexus GS 300 without Navigation through Lexus Financial Services using the April program, their 3 year, 12,000 miles per base lease money factor and residual value should be .00260 and 57%, respectively. It is difficult to say exactly what Lexus will do with their May lease program. However, I personally am not expecting any major changes.

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CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

Hi JGW. Before I provide you with the information that you are looking for, please keep in mind that Volkswagen almost always issues a new lease program every month. As a result, their current lease program is only scheduled to run for a few more days. VW Credit has not officially released their May program yet, so if you want me to give you an idea of what that program will be like, you are going to have to check back with me late this week or early next. If you were to lease a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T Sedan through VW Credit during April for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, their base lease money factor and residual value should be .00120 and 57%, respectively. The numbers for an identical lease of a 2002 Jetta GLS 2.0L Sedan should be .00153 and 57%, respectively. Most consumers do end up leasing their vehicles through their manufacturers' captive finance companies, however there are a number of independent banks out there that do write leases for vehicles. I specify which bank the lease program I am providing information on in order to avoid any confusion. I provide information on captive finance companies' lease programs because it often turns out that they are able to provide the best lease payments on supported vehicles. Although independent banks can provide better lease programs on unsupported vehicles, this is usually the exception rather than the rule, especially when many independent banks have cut back on or completely eliminated their automobile leasing programs in the wake of the major losses that they experienced from residual value exposure in their portfolios.

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jgwoods · April 2002

Car_man, I would like to get an idea of the monthly payment on the turbo; with a sticker of 20100 and cap cost at 18700, I'd appreciate it.
Also, thanks for your help on the previous info!

JGW

footie · April 2002

Hi,
Sorry I was wrong on the pricing. I went to the Edmunds new car pricer and checked every option thtat an XLE could get ( or so I thought ) but couldn't get the Invoice over 30K....it came in at 29.2K or so. What all is on the one you are chasing?
Did you look at the Odyssey? I like them too. For a 29K MSRP, I remember that you can get an EX with Navigation!
Good shopping!
Regards

shaker58 · April 2002

I went to another dealer told him to run the numbers using tfs it came up too 505 month plus tax and a 400 bank fee he said the mf was .00190
he said no way possible to get it for 383 can you give me a break down of the 383 payment
also only giving me 2000 less in my trade

shaker58 · April 2002

my wife didnt like the odyssey my cousin has one and my wife drove it a couple of times. we wanted a 7 pass suv but the lease prices were much higher than the sienna and they were giving 3000 less on my trade. our xle has the luxury pkg skid control and dimming mirriors and oak trim interior
that's for your help
gary

im_brentwood · April 2002

Car_Man,

TFS does have a $250 ac fee, but they do not include GAP insurance. The only bank that I know of that has a $595 or $895 acquisition fee is Chase, who is actually reasonably strong on Siennas. With super duper credit, they can sometimes barely beat TFS on them. Also, they DO include GAP. Seeing as how GAP is usually $250+... its virtually a wash at times.

Chase's ac fees depend on whether or not you go with their "no wear and tear" option. THe difference is a $300 additional acquisition fee, but unless the vehicle is returned in flat-out damaged condition, end of lease charges, aside from mileage, are waived (Worn tires, dingsand scratches, the odd burn hole or small stain).

Chase allows rate participation, but not ac fee participation (GE Does..)

Bill

parnola · April 2002

Brentwoodvolvo - since you're a former Lexus man, I thought you may be able to help. I'm half way through a 3 year lease on a 2001 Lexus RX 300. Great vehicle, but it comes with lously OE tires - the Goodyear Integrities.

I suspect these tires would last until the lease is up, but there wouldn't be much tread left on them at that time (45k miles). Do you think I'd be charged for tires at that time?

If I likely will be charged, I'm thinking it'd be prudent to go ahead and replace them now with some decent tires (Michelin Cross Terrains look good) and get some wear out of the good tires if I'm going to have to buy them anyhow.

Thoughts? Thanks!

im_brentwood · April 2002

Well...

The Official word is that the car must be returned with 4 or 5/32nds remainign on the tires IIRC. (Either/Or) or the customer is liable.

That being said, I dont know of one single case where they have actually charged a customer. Me? I wouldnt tempt fate.

OTOH, I also really dont think its a great idea to drive on well-worn tires for obvious reasons! If I were you, I'd do the CTs, also the LTX M/Ss are very nice. My business partner has them on his 00 AWD and they're very nice (Scroll up to see a pic of the BFGoodrich Radial Mud-Terrain T/As they replaced... he likes agressive tires so he hates em..haha

In reality tho, they're smooth and quiet and have excellent traction. They were $500 or so for a set installed.

Likely you wont be charged...(But PLEASE dont hold me to it, LFS may well change their unofficial policy!.. although I doubt they will...) But if it were me... (I am a tire freak tho) I'd get the Michelins. Ifnothing else, these are expensive vehicles and you may as well enjoy it to the fullest, right?

Bill

is300tm7 · April 2002

I think i asked before about this but do you think its ok to add dealer accessory body kit on a leased vehicle. My lease company is chase manhatten, anyhow i found a body kit made by lexus/l tuned and was wondering if it will be ok since its factory part. Do you know the website of chase or phone number where i can call and find out if its ok?

CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

I'd be happy to give you a sample lease payment for this car, JGW. If you were to lease a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T Sedan (MSRP: $20,100 / Cap: $18,700) through VW Credit in April for 3 years with 12,000 miles per, your zero down, pre-tax monthly lease payment should be around $238. That certainly is a lot of car for the money.

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CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

The sample lease payment that I provided you with is based on a 2002 Toyota Sienna XLE with an MSRP of $33,974 and a Capitalized Cost of $31,191.85 (as provided to me in your post) leased in Toyota's NY region this month for 3 years with 12,000 miles per. The base special lease money factor and residual value (3 yr. / 12k) for this van if it was leased through Toyota Financial Services this month in your area should be .00090 and 56%. I just double checked my calculations on the sample lease payment for this vehicle and again I come up with a zero down, pre-tax monthly lease payment of right around $384. If you would like, you can calculate a sample lease payment for this truck on your own by using the formula that I posted a while back in the following discussion: Car_man "The Return of "How to Calculate Monthly Lease Payments"" Jun 28, 2001 4:15pm .

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bfriedman21 · April 2002

i am about to complete lease negotiations this month (i expect)on a 2002 BMW 325xi sedan. Because of my old lease, I have to do it in May or June - I want to delay ordering until close to the end of production. I have been told that BMW financing terms are issued for two month periods and that the next period is May/June. My questions:

1) do you know when the end of production is and when the latest time is that I can order this car? I have been told that I need to do it this month.

2) I was quoted .0022 and 63% (36 mos./10K mi.)for the March/April program. Is this marked up or the real BMW rates?

3) When will the May/June program be out? Do you expect any signficant changes?

4) When the May/June rates come out do I have to post again or can you email me the new info?

thanks in advance for your help.

CarMan@Edmunds · April 2002

Hi bfriedman21. It is true that BMW issues lease programs that usually run for two months (although they have been known to revise their programs after the first month from time to time) and that their current lease program is scheduled to expire on April 30th (today). The lease numbers that you have been quoted for this month are accurate and do not appear as though they were marked up at all. If possible, I think that it is actually in your best interest to lock in this lease program before it expires. I say this because, I have heard that BMW will raise their money factors and lower their residual values slightly for 3-Series models in their May / June lease program. Locking in your deal now will enable you to take advantage of the better lease program.

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bfriedman21 · April 2002

thanks for the info
unfortunately, any savings i might realize by signing a deal today would be eaten up by the extra months of car payments

but i would be interested in the new numbers when they come out without having to ask the dealer

can i get them from you?

thanks

b

parnola · April 2002

Thanks for the advice on the tires. I agree with your last statement - might as well enjoy the vehicle to the fullest! I'll check out the LTX M/Ss as well. Thanks again!

campbellmi · April 2002

Car man I see in several posts that you mention most current lease terms expire today. If possible would you please reply with the new factors that will be available with leases on the Saab 9-3 and BMW 325 for May.

Thanks

brantmaxim · April 2002

Car_man, what is the residual and money factor for a 2002 Honda Accord Special Edition? I want to lease 3 yrs @12000. Also, is it possible for you to give me a general idea of the type of monthly payment this would be?

I also saw an ad in the paper for a 2002 Accord SE at a whopping $214/month lease boasting no cash down, no sec. deposit and a purchase option at $12,545 at lease end. It has plenty of features too. Does this sound reasonable or does it sound too good to be true?
thanks much...

CarMan@Edmunds · May 2002

You're welcome, bfriedman21. I would be more than happy to give you an idea of what BMW's May lease program is like if you check back with me in a few days. Talk to you then.

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CarMan@Edmunds · May 2002

Sure, campbellmi, I would be happy to give you an idea of what the lease programs for these two cars is like in May. Please feel free to check back with me in a few days with the exact models that you are interested in, how long you plan on leasing them for, and how many miles per year you will need and I will help you out. Talk to you soon.

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CarMan@Edmunds · May 2002

Good morning brantmaxim. Honda's April lease program expired yesterday and I have not had an opportunity to take a look at their May program yet. I should have had a chance to look at it by late this week or early next. Please feel free to check back with me then for answers to your questions.

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ddbanks · May 2002

Hi Carman,

I hope you can help me. We leased a 2002 Chrysler Voyager in October of 2001. My husband is in the army and we just found out that in April of 2003 we will be stationed in Hawaii. The lease company we went with...Firstar...says that we will have to refinance...they won't lease overseas. Is it even possible with any company to take a leased vehicle to Hawaii or will we have to refinance to the point where we are buying the car? Thanks so much....Debbie

shipo · May 2002

Ummm, since when is Hawaii "Over Seas"? I would check your lease agreement to see if it specifically prohibits Hawaii, which, last time I checked, was still one of the 50 states.

Best Regards,
Shipo

shaker58 · May 2002

ok here's my deal

3/36000 ny taxes 8.5%

inception fee's first pyt and taxes 1898.30 and plates
1000 out of pocket 1000 toyota rebate

msrp 33974.00 selling price 30619.00
30619.00 = 895 bankfee = cap 31515
36@ 466.82 month
this is a hann financail lease
tried TMCC but couldn't get the rate you gave me tried at all dealers in my area also dealer showed me mf of 00190 not 00090

anyway thanks for all you help

beowulf7 · May 2002

Could you please provide the residual and money factor for the said automobile? I'm considering a 36 month, 36,000 mile lease. Thanks.

I also have a general comment about this discussion board. I truly appreciate the effort Car_man and others (like brentwoodvolvo) expend to help us. However, it seems like a lot of residual and money factor requests, like the one I just made, overpower some really intriguing general leasing questions.

My suggestion is to have two "Lease Questions - Ask Here" sites. One that is focused solely for discussion various automobiles' money factor and residual values. And the other that discusses general lease questions (e.g. how to assume a lease, how to negotiate a lease, how to terminate early, etc.). Does anyone second this motion?

Thanks again and keep up the great work!

CarMan@Edmunds · May 2002

Debbie, Shipo has a very good point. Just because someone who you spoke with at your bank told you that you would not be able to take your leased vehicle with you to Hawaii does not necessarily mean that it is so. They probably know what they are talking about, but I have seen instances when customer service representatives with banks have been wrong. Take a close look at your lease agreement to find out for certain exactly what you are and are not allowed to do with your vehicle. Although this is a somewhat unusual situation that I do not have much experience with, I have a feeling that most captive finance companies would allow their lessees to take their vehicles with them to Hawaii. However, I can see where a much smaller independent bank would be hesitant to do so. If you find out that you definitely are not allowed to bring your van with you, you need to either find someone to assume your lease or try to sell your van on your own. There are several Web sites out there, like www.swapalease.com, that assist consumers who want to find someone to assume their leases. If you opt to try to sell your van instead, you will need to contact your bank to find out exactly how much money it will cost you to purchase your leased vehicle at this time. Then try to sell if for as close to that figure as possible, making up the difference out of your own pocket. Of course, your third option is to purchase your van with cash or to refinance it and bring it with you. Unfortunately, I doubt that you will be able to lease this van through another company at this point.

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CarMan@Edmunds · May 2002

Beowulf7, like most manufacturers lease programs, Acura's current program recently expired. I have not seen their May program yet, but should have had an opportunity to take a look at it by early next week. Please feel free to check back with me than for the information that you are looking for.

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dtwleungnyc · May 2002

Hello Car_man, hate to bother you again. But I heard there's a new Audi lease program for May. Do you have any info then for an Audi A6 Avant? The terms would be 3 years/12,000 miles and 3 years/15,000 miles. I am in New York City. Thanks in advance.

galun1 · May 2002

Hello Car_man, I have four questions about leasing a BMW 330ci.

1. Do you know the current money factor and residual for the vehicle above (3yr/12000miles and 3yr/15000 miles).
2. A friend of mine got a money factor of 205 recently, which I believe is quite cheap for a bmw. He said he did it through bmw financing but bmw actually referred him to a separete lease financing firm for the low rate. Have you heard of anything like this before?
3. I may have to relocate to another state in 6 months. Do you know if BMW allow relocation to another state in their lease terms?
4. I want to bring my car to the race track - not to race other cars but to take performance driving classes. Do you know if bmw lease terms allow this type of activity (not talking about excessive wear and tear at the end of term, just wondering if it's allowed at all).

Thanks a lot Car_man!

campbellmi · May 2002

Hey car_man,

The two cars I am looking at are the Saab 9-3 SE with Premium package and the BMW 325i with premium package and leather seats. Any information on the money factors and residual values for these cars for the month of May?

Thanks

ccdavis · May 2002

I'm beginning the process of shoppong for my next lease. Where can I find a list of the vehicles with the highest residuals?

oceanbug · May 2002

This probably isn't exactly what you're looking for, since it apparently only shows the single vehicle in each segment with the highest residual value, but it's published by the Automotive Lease Guide:

http://www.alg.com/news-information.asp?page=news_alg_RVA

(I hope that URL works.)

CarMan@Edmunds · May 2002

Yes, dtwleungnyc, I have had an opportunity to take a look at Audi's May lease program. If you were to lease a 2002 Audi A6 Avant 3.0L through Audi Financial Services in your part of the country for 3 years with 15,000 miles per this month, their base lease money factor and residual value should be .00110 and 52%, respectively. Their corresponding 12,000 miles per residual value would increase to 54%.

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CarMan@Edmunds · May 2002

Hello galun1. If you were to lease a 2002 BMW 330Ci this month through BMW Financial Services for 3 years with 15,000 miles per, their base lease money factor and residual value should be .00245 and 58%, respectively. Their corresponding 12,000 miles per year residual value should increase to 60%. BMW FS actually does currently have a lease money factor of .00205 available on the 330i right now. Is that the car that your friend leased? I personally don't see how it is possible for an independent bank to have that low a lease money factor on the car that you are interested in. BMW Financial Services is a national organization, so you should be able to move within the United States with your leased BMW without any problems. I am not sure what BMW FS' restrictions on your driving activities are. You will need to check with them or read your contract to find out for certain whether you will be allowed to take driving classes in your leased car.

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